The Hunt
by Lauren Wagner
Summary: What if Kurt was raised by the Romani in the early 1800's?


Author's Note: The life of the Romani, most commonly called Gypsies was not as easy as some stories claim they have been. They have faced a lot of persecution for thousands of years from all over Europe and America. In the 1800's in Germany, there was something called Heidenjachten; where they hunted down the Romani like animals and received rewards for how many they captured. Most European countries simply executed them on site, or sold them into slavery to solve "the Romani problem".  
  
They and the Jews were also the only group of people targeted by the Nazis specifically for racial reasons. The Nazis made a lot of plans to take away life "From those undeserving to live". One and a half million Romani were slaughtered during the Holocaust, but the number is uncertain due to the murders committed in forests and on roadsides when most Romani were captured because those murders were never documented by the Nazis.  
  
Up until the 1980's, in some countries they were forcefully sterilized to "stop the disease of the Romani from spreading to other generations".  
  
Right now the Czech Republicans are campaigning with something they call "The Final Solution to the Romani Problem".  
  
Needless to say, the Nazis had the same thing for Romani and Jews when they were around.  
  
If you want further information you can look it up. I got most of my information over at just gave these little tidbits of information so that you readers could understand where I was coming from with this story. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you enjoy my story!  
  
*** [i]Germany in the early 1800's[/i]:  
  
Jimaine had heard the sound of fire first. Looking up, she narrowed her eyes and mounted her horse to go and see what the noise was. She and the rest of her mother's tribe had been running from the Romani hunters for weeks and they had finally found solace and protection in the woods.  
  
When she saw the fire from afar, she swiftly turned her horse around and charged back to the camp, shouting the alarm as she went.  
  
Margali moved swiftly, ordering everyone to get on their mounts and ride as fast as they could deeper into the forest. Surely the hunters wouldn't dare to burn down their source of firewood over a simple tribe of Romani, yes?  
  
"Everyone stay in groups!" she said. "If any of us are separated, try to reach the waterfall! That is where everyone is to meet. Understood?"  
  
"Why don't we stand and fight them?" Stefan asked. "Some of us could hold the hunters back while the elders and children get to safety!" Margali shook her head, looking at her blood son seriously.  
  
"You know that wouldn't work for long, Stefan. None of us are going to risk our lives if all we must do is run!" she said.  
  
"Mother..."  
  
"Stefan, listen to me." Margali said seriously. "We will be able to escape the hunters. This Heidenjachten will not last long!" Stefan snorted softly, biting his tongue. He looked over his shoulder as his foster brother rested a hand on his arm.  
  
Kurt's golden eyes were glittering with the light of pride and readiness for battle. His cobalt blue fur had been washed clean and he was wearing his best set of clothes the same shade of blue as himself. Around his head he wore a scarlet red headband, the ends dangling behind him. His tail lightly tapped the hilt of his sword and he smiled faintly, leaning forward to whisper in his ear.  
  
"[i]Mashkar le gadjende leski shib si le Romeski zor.[/i]" He whispered, giving him a roguish smile. Stefan nodded and the two waited for the rest of the tribe to start off before they followed behind, Kurt's tail twitching in anticipation.  
  
When the rest of their tribe had gotten far ahead of them, Kurt and Stefan drew their blades and turned their horses right around, towards the loud sounds of fire as it spread through the trees.  
  
"What was your plan, brother?" Kurt asked, leaning forward to reduce the wind resistance.  
  
"Fight until I am killed or they are driven away really." Stefan said with a shrug. Kurt laughed softly, shaking his head.  
  
"[i]Te lolirav I phuv mure ratesa?[/i]" he asked.  
  
"Exactly." Stefan nodded.  
  
"I like your plan." Kurt said. "But do you think it will help the others escape from the hunters?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Stefan admitted. "But it's worth a try isn't it?"  
  
"When it comes to family?" Kurt asked. "Of course!" ***  
The hunters were charging forward, lighting torches and hurling them into the trees farther. They were planning on burning the Gypsy filth out of the forest. It had always worked before really. They burned down the forest and the Gypsies had two choices, burn to death in the forest, or be whipped and hanged once they get out of the forest.  
  
They were stunned when they saw two Gypsies charging at them, their swords shining in the light of the fire. When one of their men were cut down, that's when they sprang back to their senses and attacked them with their own weapons.  
  
Kurt and Stefan's horses were soon killed from under them and Kurt was able to escape harm by back flipping away from the falling animal. Stefan was caught however and his leg was shattered under the dead weight.  
  
Staying beside his brother, Kurt tried to defend him as best as he could, his sword flashing and cutting down as many hunters as he could, Stefan helping as best as he could with his own blade.  
  
Their efforts to fight were in vain however, and Stefan was soon slain and Kurt was captured and put in chains to await hanging once the others were caught.  
  
He could only hope that they had gotten away. ***  
The hunters had split up in two groups to burn the forest down from both ends. Margali and the others only discovered this seconds before a fire setting party ambushed them.  
  
Guns fired from all sides and the screams of the horses and people rang out as their blood spilled onto the earth, covered up by the flames that came up afterwards. ***  
Kurt gave the hunters a hard time before they were finally able to drag him out of the forest. He bit and kicked out at them, baring his fangs and cursing them in the Rom tongue.  
  
It was only when the other half of the hunters returned that he fell silent.  
  
The bodies of his tribe were dumped into a pile and he numbly fell to his knees, tears falling down his cheeks as the rope was tied around his throat. When it was tightened, he was forced to look up at the leader of the hunters.  
  
"Do you have anything to say, Gypsy?" he asked. Kurt spit in his face and he laughed weakly, stirring up the last of his courage to make one last statement.  
  
"[i]Prohasar man opre pirende- sa muro djiben semas opre chengende![/i]" ***  
The bodies were counted up and the gold was passed out to those who killed a Gypsy that afternoon. Then the bodies were dumped in a hole for the animals to deal with as the forest continued to burn.  
  
The hunters laughed as they rode back to the city, passing around flasks of beer and wine in celebration of a good hunt.  
  
The End *** Translations for Roma:  
  
1. Mashkar le gadjende leski shib si le Romeski zor: Surrounded by the Gadje, the Rom's only defense is his tongue.  
  
2. Te lolirav I phuv mure ratesa: May I redden the earth with my blood.  
  
3. Prohasar man opre pirende- sa muro djiben semas opre chengende!: Bury me standing- I've been on my knees all my life! 


End file.
